Posted on 07/12/2011 10:41:19 AM PDT by NYer
The unwritten story about the vote to legalize gay marriage in New York last month was the role Catholic dissent played in letting it happen.
In this revealing video, Catholic State Senator Jim Alesi (a Republican from Rochester NY who voted for same-sex marriage) tells a party hosted by the Human Rights Campaign (the wealthiest gay rights organization in America) how his Catholic parish and pastor celebrated his vote to redefine marriage (while harming society and threatening the Church with legal penalties, by the way):
I think this line by Sen. Alesi reveals his woeful lack of catechesis:
“The best story is the reverend on the right that was praying for marriage equality, the reverend on the left that was praying against gay marriage … they were praying to the same God, that created a dilemma for God and it created a dilemma for me. He Said ‘Jimmy, you’re on your own.’ I think we did the right thing.”
Gay marriage creates a “dilemma” for God? I know Sen. Alesi told this story as a joke, but come on. God tells us “we’re on our own”? Again, how woefully inadequate (and offensive).
It’s not surprising that that Sen. Alesi hails from the Diocese of Rochester. It’s probably the most heterodox diocese in the United States, and this is directly due to the (mis)governance of Bishop Matthew Clark.
This is a diocese where priests use super-soakers during Mass. There are blogs dedicated to cataloging the woeful liturgical and doctrinal abuses that take place in that diocese. A member of the Rochester diocese wrote to me:
The Diocese of Rochester, NY, led by Bishop Matthew Clark has created an environment where many Catholics felt they were obliged to support SSM legislation. Many outside of NY find that a ridiculous statement, but nevertheless it is true. Homosexuality has been subversively (and even openly at times) endorsed by our local Church hierarchy. I’ve heard that the diocese of Albany is as bad with Bishop Hubbard. I can’t speak of the other dioceses as that’s beyond my realm of understanding. [...] To these bishops (Clark and Hubbard) [this] isn’t merely a question of logistics, it is a question of faithfulness and attempting to change the Church.
I agree with the author that Bishop Hubbard’s (lack of) governance is a problem as well.
My regular readers will know that I’m not a fan of “bashing” bishops. But this is an extraordinary example and we can see the direct proof of Bishop Clark (and Hubbard’s) dereliction of episcopal duty in Senator Alesi’s ability to vote for redefining marriage (and all the harmful consequences that entails) while simultaneously deluding himself that he is in good standing with his pastor, his bishop, and the Church.
Sen. Alesi’s story of the “reverend on the right … and the reverend on the left” perfectly illustrates the scandal caused by the leaders of the Church when they send mixed messages. The devil doesn’t win our hearts by convincing us of evil, he does so by convincing us that we cannot or do not know the true good – that God has left us “on our own.”
We see this agnosticism about moral norms perfectly illustrated by Sen. Alesi’s answer explaining what he thinks his job as a legislator includes (and doesn’t include):
It’s not our job to be moral, it’s our job to be functional as a legislature. So religion cannot enter into this in any way, shape or form.
What we see illustrated here is a perfectly malformed conscience. And the great scandal is that Sen. Alesi’s pastor and bishop have done demonstratively nothing to properly form it.
As Catholic laypeople work to set our own house in order, personally and publicly, bishops must equally commit themselves to setting their episcopal community in order. The witness of the Church is undermined and fractured whenever the unity of faith is abandoned by individual bishops.
And, by the way, the witness of the Church not only to her own faithful, but to all the people who issued peals of laughter in response to Sen. Alesi announcing that God has nothing to say about human affairs.
In the Albany diocesan newspaper, on the week following the vote, only one article was published - on page 8 - and written by another bishop - simply describing the position of the church on gay marriage. Nothing from Bishop Hubbard!
If the priest and Bishop is not up to the task of the bold proclamation of the Truth, perhaps Cardinal Egan or Pope Benedict XVI should be invited to provide their perspective on what the Church actually teaches. Communion should be denied indefinitely for this very public dissension.
I have said this numerous times on FR.
One is not Catholic because one receives communion, one receives communion because one is Catholic.
It is a paradox to me how these people who openly advocate things that are clearly against Church teaching justify this to themselves.
I mean, if you truly believe that Jesus is present in the Eucharist, and that only a validly ordained priest of the Church can say the words of consecration, then how do you reject or discount any teaching of the Church?
It makes no sense to me how one can believe something so profound, so mysterious and so important to one’s eternal destiny and then reject the rather mundane by comparison teaching on SSM, or abortion, or embryonic stem cell research etc.....
Well said. May God bless and have mercy on us all...
Doesn’t Hubbard turn 75 next year?
Both Bishops Clark and Hubbard turn 75 next year! In their 30+ years of ministry, they have decimated both the Rochester and Albany dioceses. I pray the Holy Father appoints holy bishops for both dioceses. It will take decades to clean up the mess.
His story perfectly illustrates the folly of pretending that each individual can interpret Scriptures for themselves by relying on the Holy Spirit to keep them from error. It's easy enough to simply say, "the person who doesn't agree with me isn't walking in the Spirit", but if that's your argument you're not only declaring yourself to be infallible, you're also declaring that Christ delegated the separating of the wheat from the chaff to you.
If His One Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church can have within its' own ranks people who are deeply in error or apostate, individuals who migrate to a group of like minded individuals every time their opinion changes are even more likely to be led astray.
Freepmail wagglebee to subscribe or unsubscribe from the homosexual agenda or moral absolutes ping list.
FreeRepublic homosexual agenda keyword search
[ Add keyword homosexual agenda to flag FR articles to this ping list ]
FreeRepublic moral absolutes keyword search
[ Add keyword moral absolutes to flag FR articles to this ping list ]
A disturbing illustration of what happens when churches or religious bodies cease to follow the tenets and principles of religion. They become agents of the destruction of moral absolutes; and those who want evil to be labeled "good" can thus promote evil and still feel goody-goody about themselves. Shame!
Maybe I should head on over to Italy and tell them that I am the secret love child of Berlusconi and Sophia Loren...
There was NO accusation against the 'pope', I think in this nation, liberals whether they are Catholic or NOT will use and do whatever it takes to bring in their 'evil' socialism. I do NOT think the 'Pope' has all that much authority. IT cannot be ignored WHO has been in charge in 'government' to tear down this nation claiming to being for the 'better' good, when it is pure evil. Christ warned Christians to be alert to 'wolves' dressed in sheep's clothing. Now IF this priest did in-fact do as this braggart claims then he this priest is a wolf. I would not need a word out of Rome to figure out that much all by myself. IF anybody thinks/believes that a flesh being is going to get Heavenly Praise for sanctifying abominations then they are in for one big shock.
Christ warned 'Remember Lot's wife'. Well all old Lot's wife did was look back longingly at the perverts and she became a sack of salt... You think those that think they can perform a chant and a praise and a blessing are going to fair better?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.